Verizon 5X in Puerto Rico....VZ says no go?

[Fj Abraham]

OK, I just spend an hour on chat with VZ. Of course their system can't even see the phone properly (they keep reporting it as being some older model LG instead of the newest LG!

They claim it will not work outside the US (last I checked, even though not a state, PR is in the US!.

So now I'm getting worried about an upcoming trip (and the other phones on our account). How can I find out the real scoop on this phone and the others on my account?

I get different answers from the website and from the corp store.

 

[anon(632115)]

re:

This site is accurate WillMyPhoneWork.net - Check if your phone works on a network

 

[Almeuit]

re:

It should work if there is a carrier you can use. If I recall correctly Verizon doesn't have very good coverage for PR.

 

[Fj Abraham]

re:

Well it's says it will work on all the networks down there but it doesn't list Verizon! Not sure what to do with that info.

 

[Fj Abraham]

re:

I don't expect perfect service but I'd like to at least get reliable phone calls. Data isn't as critical.

Has me wondering about the iPhones and Moto X Pures we have then too.

 

[Rukbat]

re:

You might be able to use Claro, Open Mobile or TracFone - they're all CDMA carriers.

 

[anon(632115)]

re:

That's because there is no Verizon network. If Verizon have a roaming policy where they can use other countries' networks then you're OK. If not, you will need to purchase a sim card in PR and use that, however your Verizon phone would need to be sim unlocked. I would ask Verizon about roaming and if they can help with unlocking your device currently tied to their network

 

[dpham00]

re:

On a current plan, Puerto Rico would be considered in the domestic area on my note 5. Otherwise you can use a local sim as suggested above.

Phones not sold by Verizon can sometimes cause problems, and Verizon will provide limited support for them. So generally speaking I avoid them.

 

[eaccentsac]

re:

I did a Google Search and found this post on a page on the VZN Forums.

I plugged in Puerto Rico and New Moto X into this VZN website . Seems they treat PR as domestic for voice and text only.

Tmobile is fabulous for traveling (post-paid Simple Choice plans...traveled SE Asia last summer and it worked great except for no coverage in Vietnam and slow data in Hong Kong). Here's what comes up on the Tmobile coverage map when you input Puerto Rico:

Puerto Rico
We now cover even more ground! Get unlimited data, texting and calling on our network in the US, plus coverage in Mexico and Canada at no extra charge on the Simple Choice North America™ plan. On a different plan? Check your plan for roaming details.

Zoom in on the map for exact coverage detail.​

Not sure what the budget is, but if you need data it might be cheapest for one line (just for a month) to get a Tmo SIM for travel....you can be the periodic hotspot for everyone else to check email, etc. Even slow data will be decent for information retrieval that one might need for travel via the net (but not for things like streaming). If you need data, I'm pretty sure that Tmo for a month--no contracts--would be cheaper than using international data from VZN....

 

[eaccentsac]

re:

You might be able to use Claro, Open Mobile or TracFone - they're all CDMA carriers.

Inserting a local SIM is almost always the cheapest way to get service. The only problem is that you end up with a local number, which is great if you have to be calling hotels, taxis, etc all of the time.

Personally, I'd rather have my own number with travel phone service (Tmo option) so that I'm reachable.

 

[Fj Abraham]

re:

Thanks everyone.

I think I'm good to go.

1. I found a thread on VZ forums that covers this exact situation (different phone though). Customer just turned all roaming on when they got in country and it seems all worked weell on 3G. The solution was verified at least twice by VZ CS.

2. As PUGS1957 pointed out in another, there is no VZ in PR. All the other carriers however support the 5X as per WillMyPhoneWork.net - Check if your phone works on a network

So I think I'm OK.

 

[endorice]

Re:

I just returned from Puerto Rico. What you've stated is accurate. I couldn't get a data connection when I landed until I went in and enabled roaming. After that, everything worked fine.